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When to plant
swiss chard in the UK
Beautiful and productive. Pick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. Rainbow chard looks stunning.
Work out your own dates
Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.
Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it
Growing journey
9 weeks from planting out to harvest · Start indoors 5 weeks before planting out
Get swiss chard seeds
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What swiss chard need
Sun or partial shade. Moist soil. Hardly any pest problems.
Spacing
30cm between plants
Give each plant room to spread. Overcrowding reduces yield.
Varieties worth growing
Bright Lights
uncommonRainbow stems in red, orange, yellow, pink, and white — every single plant is different. Half ornamental, fully edible, and the kind of thing that makes non-gardeners say 'you grew THAT?'
Chard with garlic and pine nuts
Separate stems from leaves. Chop stems, fry first with garlic and a splash of olive oil. Add torn leaves for the last minute. Scatter with toasted pine nuts and a squeeze of lemon.
Fordhook Giant
commonMassive, glossy leaves with thick white stems that you can cook like two different vegetables — because that's essentially what they are. Heavy-yielding and unfazed by most things life throws at it.
Chard gratin
Blanch the stems, lay in a dish, cover with bechamel sauce and a thick layer of gruyere. Bake until golden and bubbling. The stems go silky-soft under that blanket of cheese.
Rhubarb Chard
commonDeep crimson stems and dark green leaves with red veins running through them like rivers on a map. Dramatic in the garden, versatile in the kitchen, and the name confuses people in the most satisfying way.
Chard and chickpea stew
Fry onion and garlic, add smoked paprika, tinned tomatoes, and drained chickpeas. Wilt torn chard leaves into the stew for the last few minutes. Serve with crusty bread. Red stems and all.
White Silver
uncommonThe classic green-and-white chard with the broadest, thickest white stems. Less flashy than Bright Lights, but the stems are meatier and cook like a separate vegetable entirely. The workhorse chard for serious cooks.
Chard stem gratin
Cut the thick white stems into batons, blanch until just tender, lay in a dish with bechamel and gruyere. Bake until golden and bubbling. Use the green leaves in something else. Two vegetables from one plant.
When to sow swiss chard
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
Where to buy swiss chard seeds
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What you'll need for swiss chard
The stuff beginners wish they'd bought sooner.
Protects from late frost and gives seedlings a head start. Keep a roll in the shed — you'll use it constantly.
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Get your exact dates
Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for swiss chard.